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Wacom’s graphics tablet lineup includes solutions for all kinds of creative work, needs and budgets. Here, we present our guide to all things Wacom, including MobileStudio Pro, the Cintiq range and Intuos Pro.

So which Wacom is for you? All will be revealed in our rundown below…

Our bestselling graphics tablet: Wacom Intuos Pro

Go for this if… you frequently work in creative applications such as InDesign and Photoshop. It’s the ideal tool for precision work on layouts and imagery, offering great resolution and sensitivity, as well as tilt recognition and ExpressKeys.

With the old Intuos range of tablets now being completely discontinued, Wacom’s entry level option is now the more recent Intuos Pro. The price tag may be a little more than its predecessor, but for the increased outlay, the Intuos Pro does come packed with a rich feature set that makes it ideal for more professional creative work.

The Intuos Pro comes in both medium and large sizes, complete with the Pro Pen 2, a stylus that’s four times more accurate than the previous generation of Pro Pen and boasts 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity – more than any other stylus/tablet combo on the market. This results in a more natural and responsive drawing experience with virtually no lag and natural tilt support. Handily, it doesn’t need batteries or charging, running instead on Wacom’s own peculiar brand of sand magic (resonant inductive coupling, apparently).

The tablets themselves are now just 8mm thick, managing to be slimmer and more compact than their predecessors while maintaining the same size active area. As usual, both models come with a Touch Ring, eight customisable ExpressKeys and on-pen slider switches so that you can have your favourite shortcuts right at your fingertips. The active area features support multitouch gestures (don’t worry, the palm rejection is still excellent).

Go for this if… If you prefer to start work on good old fashioned paper.

The Intuos Paper Edition combines an Intuos Pro tablet with a Paper Clip, which affixes to the top of your tablet and tracks pen strokes made with your Wacom Finetip Pen (don’t worry, this is included).

As you draw with your Finetip Pen, the Clip saves each stroke as an editable file which you can subsequently open in your creative software of choice. If you want the digital version of your drawing to be made up of Photoshop-friendly layers, all you need to do is tap a button on your tablet to start a new layer as you’re drawing.

The Intuos Paper Edition can hold up to 200 multi-layered drawings before you need to transfer them to your computer, which can be a Mac or PC. Once you’ve transferred the sketches to your computer, just remove the Clip, pick up a Wacom Pro Pen and edit them as you would any other digital drawing.

Go for this if… you want to combine your graphics tablet and laptop into a single piece of kit.

This Intel Powered, tablet computer provides a complete mobile solution for creatives on the go, running full versions of your favourite creative software. With up to 4K resolution and 96% RGB colour performance, as well as the Wacom Pro Pen 2 (which is 4x more pressure-sensitive and 4x more accurate than the previous version), this is a game-changing bit of design kit.

MobileStudio Pro comes in two versions – 13 and 16. MobileStudio Pro 13 packs a 13.3” screen, designed for maximum mobility, and features 2560×1440 resolution, 96% Adobe RGB colour performance, six ExpressKeys, and three different configurations to choose from. The MobileStudio Pro 16 provides a larger workspace, offering up a 15.6” 3840×2160 resolution display with 94% Adobe RGB colour performance. It also boasts a more substantial eight ExpressKeys and comes in two different configurations. Both models run on full versions of Windows 10.

Go for this if… you work with illustrations, 3D design or any field where you’re more likely to deal with texturing, fine art or brush work.

Wacom Cintiq brings together pen and touch input with a high res display to create a piece of technology that is, quite simply, unbeatable for digital artists. Rather than having to interpret your on-screen movements on a tablet, you get to paint directly onto the screen, allowing you to achieve incredible accuracy. It’s also completely customisable to your way of working – each stand allows you to position the screen in a way that is comfortable for you, and the ExpressKeys and TouchRings can be tailored to your needs.

There are a number of sizes available – the Cintiq 22HD is a desktop version with a 21.5″ full HD display, while the Cintiq 13HD is a far more portable option. The Cintiq 27QHD, is right at the top end, with improved hi-def resolution in its 2560×1440 pixel active workable area, a distinctly slimmer and lighter form factor, and a new customisable ExpressKey Remote Control which can be placed on your tablet or on your desk for more flexible working.

Go for this if… You want the most sensitive creative pen display around.

The Wacom Cintiq Pro comes in two sizes: the Wacom Cintiq Pro 13, which has a 13.3″ display, and the Wacom Cintiq Pro 16, which very logically has a 15.6″ one. Both are compatible with Mac and PC computers, and can connect via USB-C, or via Mini DisplayPort and USB using an adaptor (which Wacom kindly include with the tablet so you don’t have to fork out twice).

The display is a sleek edge-to-edge etched glass surface, which leads to a slimmer, swisher design and a more realistic ‘pen on paper’ feel. The 13″ model has an HD screen while the 16″ has a 4K resolution one, and they’re colour accurate for 87% and 94% of Adobe RGB respectively.

Like the Intuos Pro and Intuos Paper Edition, the Cintiq Pro ships with the ridiculously sensitive Wacom Pro Pen 2, which boasts 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity, tilt support and virtually no lag.

The Cintiq Pro has a built-in kick stand, and an optional Wacom Stand with three levels of elevation is available for anyone who wants more flexibility. There are no on-tablet ExpressKeys, but anyone who prefers physical buttons to the Cintiq’s touchscreen controls can invest in a Wacom ExpressKey Remote.

In January 2015, Wacom launched the Cintiq 27QHD, the latest in the Cintiq range of top-end display tablets. This meant out went our previous tablet crush, the 24HD. So here we present our all new, updated guide to all things Wacom, including the Cintiq range, Cintiq Companion, Intuos and Intuos Pro, Bamboo and Stylus options.

So which Wacom is for you? All will be revealed in our rundown below…

Wacom Intuos Pro tablet

Go for this if… you frequently work in creative applications such as InDesign, Photoshop and QuarkXPress. It’s the ideal tool for precision work on layouts and imagery.

Wacom Intuos Pro special edition

This is very much the graphics tablet that most people will want to use (though bear in mind that when it comes to the larger models, it’s not necessarily the tablet that everyone will actually need!) and is perfect for designers, 3D artists, videographers and more – essentially anyone who spends a decent portion of their day in Photoshop, Illustrator, QuarkXPress or editing tools such as Adobe Premiere Pro and Avid Media Composer.

As with the Intuos5, there’s still a small, medium and large option, and with multitouch functionality, you can set up shortcuts such as ‘swipe’ to undo, ‘pinch’ to close a window and more. While the small is a good choice if you need a more portable option, for most creative work we’d recommend the medium. Essentially, the more detail you need to go into (or the more screens you’re using), the bigger the model you should go for.

Wacom Intuos tablet

Go for this if… you want to use a graphics tablet but aren’t after the precision or size of an Intuos Pro. It’s the perfect entry-level model.

The Wacom Intuos tablet is new entry-level offering in the Wacom range. For anyone who knew the Wacom range before this new model, this has essentially replaced the Wacom Bamboo.

Wacom Intuos tablet

There’s a bit of a myth that graphics tablets are only for, well, graphic designers, but actually the pen and tablet approach is useful for everything from basic image editing to navigation. What this Intuos does is allow you to be far more precise in your on-screen movements than you can be with a mouse.

I’ve now moved on to an Intuos model, for example, and although I do use Photoshop and InDesign, this is infrequent. The Intuos allows me to be far more precise in the way I navigate on-screen, moving windows and selecting text more naturally than I could with a mouse.

With a new streamlined design, the Intuos models come in either small or medium sizes, with multitouch options available for those who want additional navigation.

Wacom Cintiq display

Go for this if… you work with illustrations, 3D design or any field where you’re more likely to deal with texturing, fine art or brush work.

Wacom Cintiq brings together the Intuos’s pen and touch input with a high res display to create a piece of technology that is, quite simply, unbeatable for digital artists. Rather than having to interpret your on-screen movements on a tablet, you get to paint directly onto the screen, allowing you to achieve incredible accuracy. It’s also completely customisable to your way of working – each stand allows you to position the screen in a way that is comfortable for you, and the ExpressKeys and TouchRings can be tailored to your needs.

Wacom Cintiq 27QHD

There are a number of sizes available – the Cintiq 22HD is a desktop version with a 21.5″ full HD display, while the newly-released Cintiq 13HD is a far more portable option. The latest version, the Cintiq 27QHD, is right at the top end, with improved hi-def resolution in its 2560×1440 pixel active workable area, a distinctly slimmer and lighter form factor, and a new customisable ExpressKey Remote Control which can be placed on your tablet or on your desk for more flexible working.

Wacom Cintiq Companion 2

Go for this if you… are a business that wants to combine your graphics tablet and laptop into a single piece of kit.

The Wacom Cintiq Companion 2 is the ideal tool for artists and designers who need to work on the move. As a Windows 8.1 tablet, it can run full versions of high capacity creative software from Adobe, Autodesk, Corel and more, but can also be used as a Cintiq display when attached to a Mac or PC. Featuring a 13.3″ 2560×1440 display, Pro Pen with 2048 pressure levels and pen tilt, six programmable ExpressKeys and multitouch functionality, the Cintiq Companion 2 offers the most intuitive and natural pen-on-screen drawing experience.

There are actually five models in the Cintiq Companion 2 range – Value, Standard, Premium, Enhanced and Enterprise (specs haven’t been released for this yet), the difference between each being memory (ranging from 4GB to 16GB), storage (from 64GB to 512GB) and processing power (ranging from Intel i3 to i7). The better specced models also come with Windows 8.1 Pro as opposed to standard Windows 8.1, as well as an additional stand and carry case. See the full feature list and how each model stacks up below…

Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus and Bamboo Stylus

Go for these if you… want to be able to play around with ideas while on the move. It’s a nice solution for iPad users who want to benefit from Wacom precision without carrying around a graphics tablet.

The Intuos Creative Stylus,Bamboo Stylus Fineline and Bamboo Stylus Solo and Duo models are new additions to the Wacom range that allow you to get creative on the move. Paired with an iPad, they allow you to sketch and paint ideas using a rubber nub tip, while benefitting from the same kind of artistic control that Wacom are known for.

The big thing to bear in mind here is that there are three main products available. The Intuos Creative Stylus is a professional-grade option and the more fully-featured, effectively turning an iPad into a mini Cintiq option. It includes 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity for more fine-tuned artwork, and includes Palm Rejection technology that means only the input of the new 2.9mm nib pen is picked up by the iPad. What’s great for designers is that you can create work on the move, then transfer designs into professional applications like Photoshop.

Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus (2nd generation)

For those who require a stylus more for note taking and sketching than technical drawing, Wacom have introduced the brand new Bamboo Stylus Fineline. With a 1.9mm nib, 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity and the ever-popular Palm Rejection technology, the Fineline is designed for use with iPad for precise note-taking, natural handwriting, doodling and navigation.

Wacom Bamboo Stylus Fineline

The Bamboo Stylus, however, is the more basic option. New updates to the 3rd generation stylus sees a new longer-lasting 6mm nib for smooth writing and improved sensitivity, making it still an incredibly accurate device for quick sketches, note taking and navigating on touch screens. There are two versions available – the Solo, which just includes the carbon-fibre, 6mm nib; and the Duo, which also includes a ballpoint pen.

So you’ve just taken delivery of your Wacom Cintiq Companion, or are hooking up your brand new Wacom Intuos Pro tablet when you hit a snag. How do I plug that into here? Why won’t this show up on there? Or perhaps you’re just doing a bit of pre-purchase Wacom graphics tablet research.

We’ve rounded up some frequently asked questions about Wacom’s range of tablets, from specific product and accessory questions to your Wacom purchasing options. So if you do have a Wacom question, you might be able to find it below or, alternatively, get in touch with the friendly folk at Wacom tech support on 0207 744 0831!

Wacom Cintiq Companion/Cintiq Companion Hybrid

Q. Can the Cintiq Companion be connected to other desktop Cintiq tablets or computers?

A. It certainly can. Using the Cintiq Companion’s mini DisplayPort and two USB 3.0 ports, you can easily connect it to other devices, including an interactive Cintiq display like the Cintiq 24HD. If you do want to connect it to other monitors, you might need a separate adaptor, which you can pick up easily and cheaply.

Q. Am I able to map the Cintiq Companion Hybrid’s Express Keys to specific Android apps?

A. Express Keys need to be set by the application itself, so if you want to use shortcuts in those apps that you find yourself working in most regularly, you’ll need to check with the developer of the application whether they’re able to implement this support.

Wacom Cintiq 13HD

Q. Can the Wacom Cintiq 13HD be properly colour calibrated using a colourimeter?

A. In terms of colour calibration, the Cintiq 13HD can, as the screen is a lot brighter and has a higher resolution compared to previous Wacom tablets.

Q. How do I get to the display settings on the Cintiq 13HD?

A. You can access the settings for brightness, contrast etc through the Wacom display settings application on your computer, which you should be able to see in the applications folder on a Mac or in the program files on Windows.

Wacom Cintiq 22HD/24HD/24HD Touch

Q. What’s the difference between the Wacom Cintiq 24HD and the Cintiq 24HD touch?

A. The only differences between the 24HD and the 24HD touch are that the touch model has now upped the colour space to 97%, and added multitouch capability to the feature set so you can navigate and manipulate designs using your fingers (think the same kind of gestures you’d use on a MacBook Pro trackpad).

Q. Video editing on the Cintiq 24HD touch is an intriguing idea. What about music production?

A. Unless the music production software can detect different levels of pressure using the pen input, we wouldn’t see the need for it. The Wacom Cintiq is designed for digital visual design work that can take advantage of the software’s ability to detect the different levels of pressure while working directly on the screen. It may help your workflow to use a tablet as it’s ergonomically designed for comfort, though.

Q. Does the Cintiq 24HD touch have an option to disable multitouch to be able to rest your hand on the screen without it affecting drawing?

A. There’s actually an additional button on the touch model at the top right of the display that lets you turn the functionality on and off. If you take a look at the 24HD touch review video here, and skip to 2:25, you can see what we mean.

Accessories

Q. Is this pen compatible with that tablet?

A. Wacom offer an extensive range of accessories and we can get our hands on most of them. Typically, the clue is in the title, e.g, Intuos3 pens work on Intuos3 tablets, and will not work on newer Intuos4, 5 or old Intuos2 tablets. But since Wacom launched Intuos4, they’ve used the same technology in those pens and tablets on Intuos5, Intuos Pro and Cintiq 24HD, 22HD and 13HD – so all pens that work on Intuos4 or 5 will work on the newer Intuos Pro and Cintiq tablets (2013 models). However, Bamboo/Intuos (2013) pens will not work on Intuos Pro or Cinitq tablets. It can be a little confusing now since some of the product names are similar (Intuos (2013) is now a Bamboo and used to refer to the pro range!), so best thing is to contact us if in doubt.

Purchasing options

Q. Can we get a loan unit to demo or ‘try before we buy’?

A. We do have certain units available for demo and short term loan basis. For a demo from our in-house Wacom expert, contact us to arrange an appointment (we tend to only do demos on the Cintiq range). If that’s not possible, we can arrange a short term loan of one of our demo units.

Q. Can I lease Wacom tablets?

A. You can! We offer leasing options on a range of Wacom tablets – get in touch with us on the details below to find out the best option for you.

Q. Is there education pricing available on any Wacom tablets?

A. Yes, we do offer education pricing on the full Intuos and Intuos Pro ranges, but unfortunately not on the Cintiq range.

Q. Can we get quantity discounts on Wacom tablets?

A. If you want to get the latest and best prices, the best thing to do is give the sales team a call on the details below, and see how they can help.

– Got a burning Wacom question that’s not covered here? Get in touch with Wacom tech support on 0207 744 0831!

[UPDATE 07/01/15 – This is 2014’s Guide to Wacom. If you’re looking for our rundown of all the latest models, including the Wacom Cintiq 27QHD, head to our Guide to Wacom 2015!]

In August 2013, Wacom revamped its range of graphics tablets and displays. Out was Bamboo, which had typically been seen as the entry-level model, and in was a whole new selection of Intuos and Intuos Pro tablets, along with a new range of products – the Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus and Bamboo Stylus.

But what do these products mean for you? Should you opt for the Intuos or Intuos Pro? Is a new Stylus a good choice for working on the move? Have there been any changes to the Cintiq line-up?

Wacom Intuos Pro tablet

Go for this if… you frequently work in creative applications such as InDesign, Photoshop and QuarkXPress. It’s the ideal tool for precision work on layouts and imagery.

As far as graphics tablets go, the Intuos5 was always the godfather of the range. Available with up to a 102.4” square working area, it offered a large creative workspace, the very best in pressure sensitivity and multitouch functionality. The good news is that all of that is present and correct in the new Intous Pro range.

Wacom Intuos Pro special edition

This is very much the graphics tablet that most people will want to use (though bear in mind that when it comes to the larger models, it’s not necessarily the tablet that everyone will actually need!) and is perfect for designers, 3D artists, videographers and more – essentially anyone who spends a decent portion of their day in Photoshop, Illustrator, QuarkXPress or editing tools such as Adobe Premiere Pro and Avid Media Composer.

As with the Intuos5, there’s still a small, medium and large option, and with multitouch functionality, you can set up shortcuts such as ‘swipe’ to undo, ‘pinch’ to close a window and more. While the small is a good choice if you need a more portable option, for most creative work we’d recommend the medium. Essentially, the more detail you need to go into (or the more screens you’re using), the bigger the model you should go for.

Wacom Intuos tablet

Go for this if… you want to use a graphics tablet but aren’t after the precision or size of an Intuos Pro. It’s the perfect entry-level model.

The Wacom Intuos tablet is new entry-level offering in the Wacom range. For anyone who knew the Wacom range before this new model, this has essentially replaced the Wacom Bamboo.

Wacom Intuos tablet

There’s a bit of a myth that graphics tablets are only for, well, graphic designers, but actually the pen and tablet approach is useful for everything from basic image editing to navigation. What this Intuos does is allow you to be far more precise in your on-screen movements than you can be with a mouse.

I’ve now moved on to an Intuos model, for example, and although I do use Photoshop and InDesign, this is infrequent. The Intuos allows me to be far more precise in the way I navigate on-screen, moving windows and selecting text more naturally than I could with a mouse.

With a new streamlined design, the Intuos models come in either small or medium sizes, with multitouch options available for those who want additional navigation.

Wacom Cintiq display

Go for this if… you work with illustrations, 3D design or any field where you’re more likely to deal with texturing, fine art or brush work.

Wacom Cintiq brings together the Intuos’s pen and touch input with a high res display to create a piece of technology that is, quite simply, unbeatable for digital artists. Rather than having to interpret your on-screen movements on a tablet, you get to paint directly onto the screen, allowing you to achieve incredible accuracy. It’s also completely customisable to your way of working – each stand allows you to position the screen in a way that is comfortable for you, and the ExpressKeys and TouchRings can be tailored to your needs.

Wacom Cintiq 24HD

There are a number of sizes available – the Cintiq 24HD, for example, is a 28.6kg beast with a working area of 518.4mm x 324mm, while the newly-released Cintiq 13HD is a far more portable option.

Wacom Cintiq Companion and Companion Hybrid

Go for this if you… are a business that wants to combine your graphics tablet and laptop into a single piece of kit.

The Wacom Cintiq Companion is another new addition to Wacom’s range of tablets that includes the full functionality of a Wacom Cintiq but adds all the processing power and storage you need for everything from creative tools to your standard word processing. There are two options available: the Companion which has a Windows 8 OS, so you can access applications just as you would on your laptop or standard tablet, while benefitting from the pressure sensitivity and inputs that you expect from a Wacom tool; and the Hybrid that runs on Android for pressure sensitivity on a mobile OS.

Wacom Cintiq Companion

The big thing about the Cintiq Companion is convenience! Where the standard 13HD Cintiq has always been the mobile option, for businesses that want real creativity on the move, this takes it to the next level. So, for example, you could have Adobe Creative Cloud running on your office computing, then use the second download rights on the Cintiq Companion for a unified workflow. This is literally the only tool of this kind out there!

Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus and Bamboo Stylus

Go for these if you… want to be able to play around with ideas while on the move. It’s a nice solution for iPad users who want to benefit from Wacom precision without carrying around a graphics tablet.

The Intuos Creative Stylus,Bamboo Stylus Fineline and Bamboo Stylus Solo and Duo models are new additions to the Wacom range that allow you to get creative on the move. Paired with an iPad, they allow you to sketch and paint ideas using a rubber nub tip, while benefitting from the same kind of artistic control that Wacom are known for.

The big thing to bear in mind here is that there are three main products available. The Intuos Creative Stylus is a professional-grade option and the more fully-featured, effectively turning an iPad into a mini Cintiq option. It includes 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity for more fine-tuned artwork, and includes Palm Rejection technology that means only the input of the new 2.9mm nib pen is picked up by the iPad. What’s great for designers is that you can create work on the move, then transfer designs into professional applications like Photoshop. The newly updated 2nd generation model is also USB rechargeable.

Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus (2nd generation)

For those who require a stylus more for note taking and sketching than technical drawing, Wacom have introduced the brand new Bamboo Stylus Fineline. With a 1.9mm nib, 1024 levels of pressure sensitivity and the ever-popular Palm Rejection technology, the Fineline is designed for use with iPad for precise note-taking, natural handwriting, doodling and navigation.

Wacom Bamboo Stylus Fineline

The Bamboo Stylus, however, is the more basic option. New updates to the 3rd generation stylus sees a new longer-lasting 6mm nib for smooth writing and improved sensitivity, making it still an incredibly accurate device for quick sketches, note taking and navigating on touch screens. There are two versions available – the Solo, which just includes the carbon-fibre, 6mm nib; and the Duo, which also includes a ballpoint pen.